


Combating Boredom

by heeroluva



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Study, Developing Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-03
Updated: 2012-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-13 12:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/503356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heeroluva/pseuds/heeroluva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony can't help but push. Clint is not so easily deterred.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Combating Boredom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beatzz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatzz/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy this!

When Tony was young he pushed, pushed until things bent, pushed until they broke. He couldn’t help it, not after the first time he realized that the trusted numbers that others had come up with had been wrong. He needed to know the stress points, the fracture points, how things worked so he could understand and use them, so he could fix them. It held his interest, kept the very threatening boredom at bay. It was not so shocking that Tony would apply similar logic to people. His lack of tact helped, but humans, he’d found were not happy to sit docile and be pushed about, not unless they wanted something (which they often did). People, Tony learned were not so easy to put back together after they broke.

He remembered a nanny who had cried because of his biting words, unable to cope with him and his probing despite the fact that she was generously compensated for her time and silence. It was the last nanny Tony would have, Howard having decided that enough was enough. The head shrinks his mother had sent him too had named him a psychopath, uncaring, manipulative, impulsive, etc. etc. It was a diagnosis that was buried, never to be mentioned again, but Tony grew to know his flaws.

Tony hadn’t lasted long with children his own age; he’d been too smart, too easily bored. As his classmates got older, they hadn’t appreciated being shown up by a kid, so Tony had learned to give as good as he got, using words as weapons. Rhodey was the first one brave enough to call Tony out on his bullshit, who taught him about social niceties, or maybe Rhodey was just the first one who hadn’t been cowed by the Stark name. For a while, Tony really had wondered if Howard had paid the man to befriend his son, but some snooping had revealed that Howard actively disapproved of him. All the more reason for Tony to strengthen their friendship.

Years later, it would be an impulsive decision to invite the Avengers (who came up with these names?) to stay at the tower. There’d been hesitation, uncertainty, but finally they’d agreed. The strange gleam of—was it pride—in Fury’s eyes had worried him. The team was a strange one, so full of issues that pushing could be hazardous to his health—that hadn’t stopped him, though he was more careful where he pushed Bruce after his actions had flooded the bathroom. Natasha took revenge by kicking his ass and calling it training.

Steve had no problems calling him out on his bullshit, their screaming matches legendary. It didn’t help that when Steve spoke of Howard, he had fond memories of a genius, creating the impossible and always quick with a smile. Tony hadn’t known that man. Oh, there was no arguing that his father had been a genius, but there was never a quick smile, not unless he’d drowned his memories away in the bottle.

However, it was Clint who drew Tony’s attention most because he was always there but never around, hiding in the corners and the shadows like some glorified Batman. He was an interesting one, a criminal who had reformed, come clean. S.H.I.E.L.D had snapped Clint up as they seemed to have no lack of room for people who had once worked against them. Not the smartest strategy, but apparently it worked for them.

“What was it like, being controlled by Loki’s glowstick?” Tony had asked, ignoring the disappointed looks shot his way.

But Clint hadn’t grown angry, only smirked. “Freeing,” he’d said as though it’d had explained everything before walking away.

After that Clint was always around, always watching, and Tony wondered when the rules of the game had changed. One day after “training” Natasha had gotten close, whispering in his ear, “Hurt him, and I’ll teach you about pain.”

“Oh, that isn’t what you were doing already? These bruises are for my benefit?”

“You can’t always depend on your suit.”

Yes, but it was so much more fun.

It was after that that the touches began, Clint’s hands on Tony’s arms, back, or shoulder, light and casual at first, a game or a seduction, maybe both.

“Tell me about your freedom,” Tony said one day when Clint sat in Tony’s lab after he’d shown Clint some new arrow designs he was working on.

Clint froze at the question.

Finally a reaction, but it wasn’t as rewarding as it should have been.

“Freedom. It was… there was no worry, no self doubt, only… purpose.”

“Funny, freedom sounds a lot like mind control. Oh, wait.” Tony his eyebrows as he cocked his head to make his point.

Clint shrugged, rocking back in his chair. “Probably. It made sense at the time, it felt good, right. Now, not so much.”

“It’s not your fault.” It wasn’t what Tony meant to say.

There was a harsh sound, not quite a laugh. “Is that what you tell yourself when you put on that suit and destroy the weapons your company made, that ‘It’s not your fault’?”

Tony smiled, the wide playboy grin full of pretty white teeth. “Haven’t you heard the news? I wear it for the publicity. Shares in my company are sky high.”

“Of course.” Clint was suddenly on his feet, up close and personal in Tony’s space but not quite touching.

Tony could have moved if he wanted, could have gotten away, but he want to see how far Clint would go, where this would lead. He hadn’t expected this, not so soon, but it wasn’t unwelcome.

“Your suit,” Clint leaned forward to whisper in Tony’s ear. “It’s your freedom. No worry, no doubt, no pesky human limitations, just purpose.”

Blinking slowly, Tony narrowed his eyes at Clint. “Purpose?” Tony lifted his chin slightly in challenge. “It isn’t freedom to clean up my own mess, what was going on right under my nose. It’s responsibility.”

“But that’s not all it is. That’s not the only reason you wear it. You didn’t have to join the Avengers, didn’t have to save the world. That was your choice. It’s not just responsibility.” Clint finally closed the scant distance between them, pressing up against Tony from knee to chest as his voice dropped lower. “It’s a toy you can’t get enough of, your escape.”

“Toys don’t cost a billion dollars,” Tony snarked.

Clint’s grin was sharp. “They do when your name is Tony Stark, and he’s bored.”

“Bored? Who can be bored with a house full of—”

“Not now, but you were. It’s why you invited us here, why you haven’t pushed me away, because I’m a distraction, a challenge, shiny and new.”

Tony’s brow rose as he licked his lips, dropping his eyes to Clint’s mouth, so close, so tempting. “Most people wouldn’t be happy with such a distinction and worry how long it would take for me to get bored with them. But you’re not most people, are you?” Tony’s grin was like a kid’s at Christmas—a very naughty kid.

In way of response, Clint’s mouth slanted over Tony’s in a harsh kiss, one hand fisting in Tony’s hair and other arm wrapping around his back, pulling him impossibly close.

Tony wasted no time returning it, needing this for far too long. Hands gripping Clint’s arms, Tony backed up until his thighs hit the edge of his worktop and sat, spreading his legs and pulling Clint up against him again. They both broke apart with a groan, enjoying the way their cocks pressed together.

But from somewhere Tony felt a nagging sense of worry that wouldn’t go away despite how hard he pushed at it, the newfound fear that had never quite left him after Pepper had decided that enough was enough. Relationships hadn’t been the same since, not even when it was just supposed to be sex. Something must have shown on his face because Clint spoke up.

“You can’t break me, Tony. I’m already broken.”

Tony wasn’t sure why he felt so relieved at that, but finally pushed it away, deciding to examine the feeling later. Leaning forward for another kiss, his hands dropping to grip Clint’s ass, Tony lost himself in the pleasure.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Combating Boredom (Someone Else's Fault remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1258897) by [Penknife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penknife/pseuds/Penknife)




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